Chapter 21: Escape?

Nudity, FYI

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I felt the pain of the client entering me, creating fresh bruises on the ones I already had. I don't know how long I had been down here. There were no windows or clocks to give any indication of what time of day or night it was. Shortly after Leo had given me some heroin, I remember falling asleep. Now I just felt cold and sweaty. My hands were still shackled, causing my wrists to hurt. I cried out as the man on top of me thrust into me repeatedly and he slapped me hard, making my teeth dig into my lip. When he was finally done he threw some cash onto my stomach and finally got off of me. I thought the pain would have stopped after the client got off me, but I was wrong. Leo came over to me and I glared at him, but I couldn't keep my death glare for long because a shot of pain went through my body from who knows where.

I closed my eyes, and legs, putting my arms over my breasts, trying to cover myself up as much as I could so I could feel less exposed. I winced when I moved my hands because the shackles kept digging into them.

"What's the matter, Gypsy? In pain? Would you like me to make it better? I have a sure way to relieve you from it."

"Yes. Make it stop."

Leo went over to the end table, that stupid table that held my pleasure and my pain, and dosed me with another shot of heroin. As soon as he injected it, I became pain-free and relaxed. I knew it was wrong, but nothing was as effective as the drugs. Not long after, another client was having his way with me, but this time I didn't really care because I didn't feel much, and I was much more willing to comply to the client's needs. I felt his weight lifted off of me after he finished and pulled out. I found myself tired and weak from all the sessions. My stomach grumbled and I realized I hadn't eaten anything since my recapture.

I propped myself up on the bed slowly, as much as I could, and braved myself to look at Leo.

"Leo? Can I have something to eat?"

"I don't know, Gypsy. I'm still pretty pissed off at you, but I can't have fun with you if you're dead, so I guess I'll go get you something."

I watched as Leo climbed up the ladder that led to the above part of the brothel. I longed for the days when I was up there, unshackled and not beat up. Even the worst clients up top were nothing compared to the horrors I had to endure down here in the basement. I don't know how many times I had hit my head on the headboard of my tiny bed, been slapped, punched, pressed on in uncomfortable locations, and just abused in general. I felt like I had been here for many days, but in reality, I had no idea how long I had slept for earlier, as well as no idea how many doses of heroin I had taken. As I continued watching Leo, I wondered if I would ever be free of this prison.

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When Francis and I walked into the brothel, we saw the usual, neon lights, a bar, a stripper pole, and some couches. There was a tattooed man at the bar who looked like he was the bartender. Francis suggested we get something to drink, sit on the couches, and blend in. We each got a bottle of beer and made our way over to a couch in the corner, observing our surroundings. I tried to remain relaxed like Francis suggested, even though I really just wanted to tear the brothel upside down and find Iliana. There were two women dressed in their underwear around the brothel. One of them came over to us and started shaking her hips, touching her upper leg suggestively, sticking her chest out and swaying in front of us.

The other woman was doing acrobatics around the stripper pole, where a guy with a hat on was whistling and making cat calls at her. Francis and I continued looking around and noticed that eventually the guy with the hat had gotten up and was going over to a ladder behind the stairwell of the brothel. Francis nudged me and gestured with his head, making me look over to see what the guy was doing. He whispered to me that we should see where that ladder went. We both got up and headed towards the ladder, trying to be as quiet as we could. As we got down there we saw the guy who had the hat on, I'm assuming, having sex with someone that was chained to a bed.

When the woman gasped, I immediately clapped my hands over my mouth and turned to face the wall because I recognized her voice. That man was having sex with my wife, and she was chained to the bed in this horrible brothel. Francis noticed my reaction, and he quietly snuck over to the man, grabbing him and pulling him off of Iliana. With lightning quick movements, Francis cut off his air supply temporarily and the man grabbed at Francis' arm, but he couldn't get Francis off of him, and eventually he stopped struggling.

Francis put the guy down behind the curtain that divided Iliana's bed from the other part of the room. He reached in his pocket for something to unlock Iliana's handcuffs.

"What are we going to do now? How are we going to get her past all those people upstairs? She was clearly supposed to remain down here, if anyone sees her, they'll know she doesn't belong up there."

"Shh, Gerard. It's all right. The strippers aren't going to care as much if she's taken away, the only one who will care is probably the guy at the bar. If we can lure him down here, I can knock him out and we can escape. You take Iliana, and hide behind this curtain, while I take care of it."

I nodded, scared out of my mind. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I was sad that we had to draw attention to ourselves in order to escape. I trusted Francis however, so I was willing to put aside my fear, and exchange it for faith that he would get us out of here. I carried Iliana off the bed and went to hide behind the black curtain, further concealing both of us by hiding behind the bed that was on the other side of the curtain.

I cradled Iliana in my arms, looking over her body, unable to stop the tears from falling when I saw how many bruises she had suffered. Her breathing was shallow, and I could tell she was under the effect of a drug. She wasn't asleep, but her body was definitely suppressed, and I knew she had probably been injected with heroin. I didn't think that much time had passed, but I guess I had underestimated the damage that could be done in a short period of time. Iliana already had four needle marks in her arms.

"What the fuck?"

I heard the bartender's voice and guessed that Francis had successfully lured him down here.

"Why are you pressing me against the wall? Are my whores not doing it for you? I can yell at them and make them behave."

"Yeah, this one chick is not doing what I want, she's being really whiny. She's over here."

I saw the bartender walk over, and then Francis hit him behind his neck and shoulder, making him fall on the floor. Francis nodded towards me, and I quickly picked up Iliana and made my way up the ladder, with him following behind me.

I made my way to the top and climbed off the ladder, ready to wait for Francis to come up as well, when I heard a gunshot. I gasped, and looked down, just in time to see Francis fall off the ladder. Shit.